COVID-19 and the ageing workforce: global perspectives on needs and solutions across 15 countries

Abstract

Background COVID-19 has a direct impact on the employment of older people. This adds to the challenge of ageism. The World Health Organization has started a worldwide campaign to combat ageism and has called for more research and evidence-based strategies that have the potential to be scaled up. This study specifically aims to identify solutions to combat the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the global ageing workforce. Methods We present 15 case studies from different countries and report on what those countries are doing or not doing to address the impact of COVID-19 on ageing workers. Results We provide examples of how COVID-19 influences older people’s ability to work and stay healthy, and offer case studies of what governments, organizations or individuals can do to help ensure older people can obtain, maintain and, potentially, expand their current work. Case studies come from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Israel, Japan, Nigeria, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Across the countries, the impact of COVID-19 on older workers is shown as widening inequalities. A particular challenge has arisen because of a large proportion of older people, often with limited education and working in the informal sector within rural areas, e.g. in Nigeria, Thailand and China. Remedies to the particular disadvantage experienced by older workers in the context of COVID are presented. These range from funding support to encouraging business continuity, innovative product and service developments, community action, new business models and localized, national and international actions. The case studies can be seen as frequently fitting within strategies that have been proven to work in reducing ageism within the workplace. They include policy and laws that have increased benefits to workers during lockdowns (most countries); educational activities such as coaching seniorpreneurship (e,g, Australia); intergenerational contact interventions such as younger Thai people who moved back to rural areas and sharing their digital knowledge with older people and where older people reciprocate by teaching the younger people farming knowledge. Conclusion Global sharing of this knowledge among international, national and local governments and organizations, businesses, policy makers and health and human resources experts will further understanding of the issues that are faced by older workers. This will facilitate the replication or scalability of solutions as called for in the WHO call to combat ageism in 2021. We suggest that policy makers, business owners, researchers and international organisations build on the case studies by investing in evidence-based strategies to create inclusive workplaces. Such action will thus help to challenge ageism, reduce inequity, improve business continuity and add to the quality of life of older workers.

Older Workers in Digitalizing Workplaces: A Systematic Literature Review

“…The third research question asked how country characteristics shape the situation of older workers in digitalizing workplaces. Previous research showed that the country-wide use of ICT, governmental programs for older workers' computer training, labor market structures, culture, THE JOURNAL OF AGING AND SOCIAL CHANGE welfare policies, and governmental responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are influential Grigoli, Koczan, and Topalova 2022;Pit et al 2021;. Interestingly, some of these influences are intended to shape the situation of older workers in digitalizing workplaces, such as the computer training programs and retirement regulations.…”

“…The same governments, as well as the Austrian, Israeli, South Korean, and the US, supported education and training. Thus, they tried to enhance the skill levels of older workers, making it easier for them to navigate digitalization at work (Pit et al 2021). These country differences in the governmental reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic will translate into new country differences in how older workers fare in digitalizing workplaces.…”

“…This need intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when work was further digitalized to enable home offices. Yet, the practice of working in a home office also increased older workers' digital skills (Pit et al 2021). Thus, older individuals nowadays need to be digitally skilled to adapt to extended working lives (Nagel 2020).…”

Strategic Guidance and Technological Solutions for Human Resources Management to Sustain an Aging Workforce: Review of International Standards, Research, and Use Cases

“…Furthermore, new organizational business models, such as platform work (eg, Uber), and evolving worker preferences, such as remote work [6], have led to technological changes in the workplace. COVID-19 has also demonstrated the "forced innovation" such as the implementation of telehealth [7], increased use of videoconferencing, and technological solutions created during COVID-19 to support an aging workforce [8].…”

“…Given the rise of nonstandardized employment globally, such as gig work and short-term contracts, governments play a crucial role in ensuring the OHS of workers, through developing new concepts of decent work, organizing of networks among independent workers, and standardization of OHS regulations [32]. A recent study [8] reported case studies from 15 countries to address the impact of COVID-19 on aging workers and included many technological solutions such as next-generation age-inclusive manufacturing systems in Germany or an AI system run by a large Korean telecommunications company (SK Telecom) that continuously tracks the health of service users to reduce workload for health care staff.…”